Friday

LAWRENCE — A suspect living at the Kansas men’s basketball dormitory has been issued a notice to appear in court in connection with a drug crime that occurred the same day a rape was reported.

The KU Office of Public Safety isn’t releasing the suspect’s name.

The crime originally appeared on a police report that also listed a rape of a minor and other crimes committed late Dec. 17 or early Dec. 18 at McCarthy Hall, an all-male dormitory next to Allen Fieldhouse that houses the basketball team and other male students. Several basketball players were listed as witnesses.

A report released Friday says police seized two drug-related objects: a glass smoking device and a glass skull smoking device, both of which had residue on them.

KU police chief Chris Keary issued a news release Friday indicating the drug crime — use of drug paraphernalia or the possession thereof with intent to use it — has been pulled from the original crime report and made into a separate case.

This is “consistent with how misdemeanor drug cases are routinely processed,” the statement indicated.

On Thursday night, the basketball team suspended sophomore forward Carlton Bragg indefinitely for what coach Bill Self labeled a “violation of team rules.” Self said the violation is “not connected to the alleged incident in McCarthy Hall on Dec. 17.”

Bragg was also suspended in December, when a woman accused him of shoving during an argument. The District Attorney’s Office dropped the charge after law enforcement found surveillance footage of the incident.

Bragg was also suspected of battery in September but the Douglas County District Attorney’s office says charges were not brought because there was “insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

At a news conference at noon on Thursday, reporters peppered Self with questions about the police investigation into the events of Dec. 17-Dec. 18 at McCarthy Hall.

“We’ve been given zero information that would warrant suspensions or anything like that that’s connected to our players at this point in time,” Self said. “So that’s what I know and I certainly will act on it if any information is given to us in the future that would warrant such action.”

Police say they continue to investigate the reported rape of a 16-year-old girl, alleged to have occurred between 10 p.m. Dec. 17 and 5 a.m. Dec. 18 at McCarthy Hall. Five men’s basketball players were listed as witnesses in the original incident report that also listed the drug crime.

The two other crimes listed on the original report include furnishing alcohol to a minor and contributing to a child’s misconduct.

A separate police report dated to Dec. 17 and Dec. 18 for the same dormitory says a runaway was reported.

Annual federally mandated crime statistics compiled by KU show 14 on-campus rapes were reported in 2014. Eleven were reported in 2015. No statutory rapes were reported either year.

In terms of drug crimes, 86 arrests were made on campus in 2014 and 100 in 2015.

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